Needle threading device



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.NEEDLE THREADING DEVICE Filed Sept. '7, 1948 n 2 SheetsSheet .l

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NEEDLE THREADING DEVICE Filed Sept. 7, 1948 i .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 `ns`sea/- sa o Patented Mar. 21, 1950 N EEDLE THREADING DEVICE FrancisAlfred Warner, Lazarus Engleman, and Cecil Angel, Coventry, England;said Warner assignor to said Engleman and said Angel ApplicationSeptember 7, 1948, Serial No. 48,034 In Great Britain September 17, 19471 Claim.

This invention comprises improvements connected with needle threadingdevices and refers to that type in which the material is attached to ahook member which is passed through the eye of the needle.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device of this typein which a plurality of needles may be threaded simultaneously.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figures 1 and 2 are views in elevation and plan respectively of a needlethreading device according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the threading member per se.

Figure 4 is a part sectional elevation of a portion of the device on anenlarged scale to show the threading action.

Figure 5 is a cross section on the line U-v of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross section on a further enlarged scale onthe line 2li-w' of Figure 5.

Figures 7 and 8 are detail plan and elevational views on an enlargedscale of the operating and guiding means of the threading member, theviews being broken away to show construction, and

Figure 9 is an end view on an enlarged scale or" the slider andindicator per se.

Referring to Figures l to 6 of the drawings the body part I is formedfrom two halves secured together about a longitudinal vertical plane andmounted on a base 2.

The abutting faces of the halves of the body part I are so machined asto form a longitudinal slot 3 and a plurality of vertical holes orrecesses 4 at right angles to said slot 3.

Sldable in said slot 3 is a thin strip-like threading member 5 providednear one end with a notch 5 so as to form a hook whilst the other end ofsaid member 5, or a portion thereof near said other end, is engaged byslider 'I slidable over a groove 8 for the member 5 formed in suitablemachined rear extensions 9 of the halves of the body part I.

The slider I consists of a thin plate I having secured thereto blocks(Figure 9) forming nger pieces II said plate I0 sliding on the rearextensions 9 and engaging a cut away part I2 of the threading member(Figure 3).

The slider is retained in position by a detachable cover member I3secured by screws I4 to the `rear extensions 9 over the groove 8. Theplate I0 thus also slides along a horizontal slot I5 formed between theextensions 9 and cover I3.

(CL 22S-99) The extent of travel permitted for the slider and hencethreading member 5 is such that the notch il may be either located atthe recessed portion I6 of the body part I or, as shown, at the recessedportion I'I'.

Each vertical hole or recess 4 is adapted to receive a needle I3 so thatthe eye I9 of each needle (Figures 4 and 5) is aligned with the slot 3so that the member 5 passes through each eye I9.

In order to ensure that the needle heads are correctly aligned oninsertion in the recesses Il the lower portions 20 of the latter inproximity to the slot 3 are formed to a polygonal cross section as shownin Figure 6. Furthermore, a bed is provided for the needle headsimmediately under the slot 3 by a member 2 I.

In operation the slider I is drawn back to the position shown in Figures1 and 2 the needles I8 that are required to be threaded are eachinserted head first in corresponding recesses 4. In the drawings only afew needles are shown so inserted by way of example, but in the case ofthe device shown the capacity thereof is twenty-two needles peroperation, but it is to be understood that a device according to thepresent invention may have a greater or less capacity.

With the needles I8 thus inserted the slider 'I is moved towards theneedles I8 to cause the threading member 5 to pass through each eye I9so that all the needles are threaded thereon when the notch'I is locatedat the recessed portion I 6.

A length of thread 22 is then engaged by the notch 6 and the member 5then withdrawn back through the eyes I9 of the needles I8 by moving theslider I back to its position shown in Figures l and 2. In this way thethread 22 is threaded through each eye I9 and the leading end portion ofthe thread may be removed from the notch 6 by withdrawing the needle IBnearest thereto, which by virtue of the slot 23 (Figure 2) communicatingthe recess l with the recessed portion II lifts the threadv from thenotch 6.

By rmly holding the thus disengaged leading end of the thread eachneedle I8 is withdrawn from the device a sufficient distance to drawafter it the required length of thread that it is desired to havethreaded on each needle. The thread thus extending from each needle iscut olf near the device which is then cleared of thread ends andreloaded with needles for a further cycle of operation.

By virtue of the slot 3 and more particularly the groove 8 the threadingmember 5 is guided 3 throughout its movement and is thus prevented frombuckling as would be otherwise caused for example by a misalignedneedle.

In the event of a misaligned needle or other obstruction of the slot 3the device is preferably provided with an indicator to indicate themisalignment or obstruction.

As shown the indicator consists of a member 24 extending from one of thenger pieces II and running alongside the device to be formed at its freeend with a pointer 25 which travels along the top of the body part Ipast the recesses 4. The pointer 25 corresponds with the leading end ofthe threading member 5 so as to indicate the position of said leadingend in the slot 3 and thus the locality of any obstruction or misalignedneedle.

The usual reel 26 on which the thread 22 is supplied may, as shown, bemounted on one of the posts 21 (Figure 2) so that thread may be drawntherefrom into the device. By the 4provision of more than one post 2'!reels carrying threads of different colours may be conveniently mountedready for use as and when required.

The bed member 2| is preferably capable of being slid out of the bodypart I so as to be readily removable to enable the recesses 4 to becleared of thread ui which is then allowed to pass down extensions 28 ofthe recesses 4 and out through the clearance 29 between the body part Iand the base formed by the provision of the blocks 30.

In order to remove the threading member 5 for replacement or the like itis merely necessary to remove the cover I3 whereupon the slider I candisposed within said body part and lying in the plane of abutment ofsaid body part halves; a plurality of recesses lying in the plane ofabutment of said body part halves and communicating with said slot anddisposed at right angles with respect thereto, each said recess being ofsubstantially hexagonal cross section at that portion thereof inproximity to said slot to receive the head of a needle and align the eyethereof with said slot; a removable member adjacent to said slot toprovide a bottom for said recesses and adapted to form a bed for theneedle heads; a guideway aligned with said slot; a hooked threadingmember slidable in said slot and guideway which threading member isadapted to engage the thread to be threaded and to pass same througheach needle eye, a slider sldable over said guideway, said sliderengaging said threading member, and an external indicator extending fromsaid slider co-extensively with said threading member in order toindicate the position of the leading end of said threading member withinthe body part.

FRANCIS ALFRED WARNER.

LAZARUS ENGLEMAN.

CECIL ANGEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 553,080 Somdal Jan. 14, 18962,218,059 Thompson Oct. 15, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date13,362 Great Britain 1884 5,462 Switzerland Jan, 5, 1894 27,278Switzerland Nov. 19, 1902

